amsoil seams to be the best. and at 10.95 per it is the $$
http://www.harley-performance.com/amsoil-vs-harley.html

 

Sure the engine oil will work in all three holes just like a Swiss Army knife works, but personally I would rather have a real knife, a real pair of scissors and a real saw.

 

I've had Harleys since the 60s and back then there was no such thing as synthetic oil for motor vehicles. We used the same oil as was available for autos, with no negative results. The big twin Harley engines ran just as hot then as today and the oil did not break down. We has wet clutches then too.
All the hype about buying synthetic oil is "bunk".
Anyone that would pay $10 to $14 per quart for oil is either uninformed, ignorant of the facts, or just too skeptical to believe that the "old stuff" was any good at all!!
Bob Nisbet

 

Synthetic oil has been around since the late 1930's when German scientist Dr. Hermann Zornteri invented it.

Those older Harley motors just didn't make the power the newer ones do. Power (energy) equals heat. Period. Ask any engineer.

Then there's the RPM dealio. Those old motors didn't turn the RPMs the newer motors do. Well..... They would. Just not for very long. They'd grenade on you.

Mobil 1 is Factory fill in every new Cadillac, every new Corvette, every new Camaro SS, every new Mercedes AMG, Every new Mercedes SLR McLaren, every new S&S motor, every new Porsche, as well as every new Acura RDX, Aston Martin DB9, DBS and Vantage, All Bentley Vehicles, Bristol Fighter and Fighter S, Buick Regal GT, Chevrolet CR8 and HHR SS, Daewoo G2X, All Holden HSV, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Nissan GT-R, Opel Insignia, Saab 9-3 TTid, Toyota Lexus LFA, Vauxhall VXR8.

A couple of those cars make over a THOUSAND horsepower.

BMW factory fills with Castrol Edge, a 'synthetic' oil.

There's more, but I'm getting bored. Mercedes will tell you FLAT OUT, that if you run ANYTHING but Mobil 1, your warranty is null and void.

Funny that so many know better than the best Automotive Engineers on the face of the earth.

 

I have owned my 2008 Fat Bob two years to the date. Every oil change I have put in regular oil. I was reading an interesting article in American Iron Magazine how synthetic oil is so much better for the HD Twin engine. I currently have a little over 14,000 miles on my bike. Can anyone advise me on if it is ok to suddenly switch to synthetic oil, or since I have been using regular oil for all these miles is better for me to stick to fossil oil?
Also, if it is ok to switch to synthetic do I simply drain the oil and switch the filter as normal? Typically when you change the oil a measurable amount of the old oil does not drain out. When switching from fossil to synthetic do you need to take special precautions to somehow pump out left over oil out…or does it not matter that the small amount of fossil mixes with the synthetic?

 

just do a normal oil change and make the switch.

synth is just re-refined dino oils with a larger additive pack.

Amsoil and Brad Penn (the real Kendall) are my faves.

 

If you do a search, there are dozens of threads about oil, I recommend doing some reading of these threads.

From my reading of the threads it seems the consensus is that synthetic is a good thing and certainly does no harm except to the wallet. And no I don't believe that any special process is necessary to remove every last drop of dino fuel.

Since my 1000 mile service I've been running Harley's Synth3, which is a synthetic oil in a petroleum base as I understand it. Bike runs a bit cooler and quieter. The dealer here recommends it due to the climate, and I think it's been a good move.

 

Welcome to HDF. Take a look around here as Robert Le Gras suggests, as oil is probably the most popular topic on here! When synthetic oil is cheaper than traditional I will start using it. The old fashioned stuff has kept my bikes running sweet for 40 years now and I see no need to change.

 

Common auto engine oil has been the norm since the invention of internal combustion engines. It worked perfectly when there was no such thing as multi-viscocity blends, worked perfectly before there was synthetic oil, and will work perfectly for you today.
You can buy V-Twin Synthetic and pay over $12.50 a quart, or buy basic Mobil-1 and pay around $6 a quart, of buy standard oil and pay $1.80 a quart.
If you keep the oil clean through appropriate periodic changes, you will most likely never see any diffentenc in the life or performance of your engine.

 

I just changed my fluids yesterday. Went to Mobil 1 V-Twin, which I bought on sale at Advance Auto parts for $7.99 a quart. I understand you can get it at Walmart for $8.49 a quart every day. I used Mobil 1 75W-90 gear lube in the tranny. That was a little more spendy. I think it was $12.99 for the quart. Not sure. It kinda smells so don't spill it.

The capacities on these things is kinda weird. Mine took 2 1/2 quarts in the crankcase (do NOT overfill it), about 30 ounces in the primary and I dumped the whole quart in the tranny, so now it's over-filled just a tad. But I'm not gonna sweat that too much. I think it'll be okay. Just remember: MUCH, much easier to add than to take out.

Mobil 1 V-Twin is almost certainly a Group IV oil. Which means -- It kicks ****.

Technology is moving on. It will move on with you, or without you. It's your call.

Example: Are you old enough to remember the Trans Am GTA? With all the 'Boy Racer' horsey stuff and big motor and wings, and mag wheels. The 1988 Pontiac Trans Am GTA would do the 1/4 mile in 15.9 seconds.

A bone stock, 2009 Camry V6 grocery-getter, 4-Door, Grandma carryin', soccer-mom Toyota will do the quarter mile in 14.38 seconds.

Not fair, you say? Wanna go back to some old-fashioned muscle cars? How about the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS-350? 15.4 seconds standing 1/4 mile.

I don't wanna hear about the 'good ol days'. Bull snot. Technology kicks ****. Period. Get with it or get left behind. It's all the same to technolgy. It doesn't care. I'm not a 'young' guy either. Not by a long shot.

And, oh yeah. I could feel the difference in the bike. Smoother. The shifting clunk didn't go away yet, but I'm not sure I care. I kinda dig it.